Music Matters Autumn 2019

Prep School We are at the end of another busy term in the Prep School! In the Prep School Music Room, I

am surrounded by piles of slightly damp music recently retrieved from the pop-up bandstand

in the car park. On the table is a washing-up bowl of brass instrument mouthpieces soaking

in hot water and I’ve just extracted the final piece of rather twisted tinsel from the bell of a

cornet. It must be Christmas! The wonderful sound of carols and Christmas songs seem to

be coming from everywhere!

On the first Friday of the new term, I set up a stand at the Prep School Clubs Fair to represent the host of extra-curricular music clubs that are on offer in the Prep School and to talk to girls, parents and carers about individual music lessons. I was besieged by enthusiastic parents and girls asking about clubs, concerts and instrumental lessons! The Infant Choir (led by Mrs Amanda Lloyd-Jones), Shake, Rattle and Roll (our percussion group), Junior Radio, Junior Rock, Band Skills (all led by Mr Mark Cheeke), Junior Wind Band, Junior Orchestra, String Machine, Junior Competition Choir (JCC) (led by Ms Amy Edwards) and Junior Flute Choir (led by Ms Jane Groves) all had a good uptake of girls. Nearly 100 girls take part in music extra-curricular clubs each week and it is true to say that, for the girls who want one, there is probably a musical extra-curricular activity available! Most groups have,

during the latter part of the term, been working on their repertoire to perform on the pop-up Christmas Bandstand in the old tennis pavilion in the car park!

Our team of 17 instrumental tutors have been busy too, and since the beginning of term more than 25 Prep School girls have begun individual instrumental or voice lessons. In the second week of term, 4S began their weekly class brass lessons with Mrs Sian Davis,

playing a mixture of cornets and trombones and 3J began their class string lessons with Ms Glynis Williams and Mrs Anna Bowden playing a mixture of violins and cellos! There is always great excitement when the girls open the cases and make a sound with their instruments for the first time!

At the beginning of October, the whole Prep School joined together for our annual harvest assembly. Surrounded by an abundance of kindly donated tinned and packaged produce, the girls sang a very enthusiastic rendition of Cauliflowers Fluffy, ably accompanied by the Junior Orchestra. The orchestra also played traditional harvest hymns as the school arrived in the Prep School Hall and String Machine, our prep

School String Ensemble, played Harvest Rock. Both of these ensembles were making their debut appearance of the year!

Since the beginning of term, the school had been building up to the Howell’s School production of the legendary stage musical, The Wizard of Oz. Year 5 and 6 had been busy rehearsing their musical numbers and learning the choreography in their weekly music lessons since September whilst the Senior School and College cast had been rehearsing every Sunday since the start of term. The much-anticipated costumes were about to

arrive in school for fitting, the multi-level stage was being built and the rehearsal schedule was intensifying! The day had come when the basic stage structure was built and ready for a visit. Year 5 and 6 got a sneak preview of the Sports Hall and had a chance to explore the different parts of the stage. The overriding reaction from the girls was, “Wow!” The girls then had some rehearsal time on stage prior to joining with the full cast. During the next week or so, the remainder of the theatrical

experience took shape. The set was built, the lighting trusses were flown, the sound was installed and gradually the Sports Hall began to take on the appearance of a theatre. The day prior to the full technical rehearsal, saw the auditorium seating being set up and the gradual emergence of a winding central aisle, snaking its way from the back of the auditorium, through the audience to meet up with the stage. This (with a little bit of help from many sheets of hardboard, a tin of yellow

paint and a few black marker pens) was to become our very own yellow brick road, twisting its way through the theatre space, up the ramp in front of row A, over the orchestra pit and off up into the distance, disappearing upstage right! Our Prep School girls had two very intense Sunday rehearsals with the full cast and coped brilliantly with all that was ‘thrown at them’! On the Sunday before the week-long run of performances, came the dress rehearsal where the girls got to work with the incredible sound of the full orchestra, the

lighting, the sound and the special effects. They also had to perfect their precisely timed stage entrances with corridor dashes from distant dressing rooms! There was great excitement as the performance week dawned. Year 6 gave the opening performance to a packed auditorium of 500 excited pupils from local primary schools and also performed on the Tuesday evening and at the closing Gala Night. Year 5 performed on the Monday and Wednesday evenings, both to capacity audiences. All of their performances were brilliant and the girls are to be congratulated for their superb dancing, singing and acting. It was an amazing experience for them to be part of a 150 strong cast and crew in such a

large-scale school production and the Prep School staff were very proud of them all. The rest of the Prep School got in on the theatrical experience too. During their music lessons in ‘show week’, every class from Nursery to Year 4 had the chance to explore the stage, auditorium and back stage, try out some lighting effects, handle props and look at some of the costumes as well as experience some of the instruments in the orchestra pit. We certainly made the most of having built a theatre on site and as the final piece of kit left the Sports Hall on that Friday night, it was time for a well-deserved Half Term break!

On Monday 11th November, the Prep School gathered just before 11am for their annual

remembrance assembly. Miss Louisa Gardner (Prep School Deputy Head) explained the

importance of remembrance and

Miss Emily Davies (one of our

Year 4 teachers) played The Last

Post on the trumpet, signalling

the start of a minute’s silence.

Following the rousing bugle

call, Reveille, the girls from

Reception to Year 5 sang the

song, They Grow Not Old,

accompanied by Junior Wind Band, our Prep School Wind Ensemble. The lyrics of the song

were a setting of Laurence Binyon’s famous poem, For the Fallen. During the song, there

was an instrumental verse with a beautiful lyrical countermelody played by Xinrong Z on the

cello, which gave the girls the opportunity to reflect upon what they had seen and heard. Our

Year 6 girls represented Howell's School at the war memorial in Llandaff village, where they

laid a wreath on behalf of the whole school community and wholeheartedly joined in the

singing of the hymn, O God our Help in Ages Past and the national anthems. Their behaviour

and attitude during the commemorations were a credit to the school.

One of the huge benefits of working in an ‘all-through school’ like Howell’s is being able to observe the girls’ musical progress and development right from the age of 3 up to the age of 18! Being involved in Senior School and College musical events always makes me immensely proud of the girls who have come through from the Prep School and this year I was delighted to have the pleasure of listening to a number of our

former Prep School pupils perform at the St Cecilia’s Day Recital Evening. Held in the majestic surroundings of the Great Hall, these talented musicians, who are music scholars, performed their solos to a very appreciative audience. Out of the 12 music scholars performing, 7 were former Prep School pupils.

This term has

also been a

busy one for the

Junior

Competition

Choir (JCC).

The choir

welcomed 16

new members

from Years 3, 4,

5 and 6 after

auditions at the beginning of September. This brought the numbers in the choir to 48, with a

good balance between the soprano and alto parts. The choir is conducted by Howell’s’ Senior

Director of Music, Ms Amy Edwards. This term the choir has been rehearsing once a week

after school in order to build up their choral skills and their attendance at rehearsals has been

excellent! They have been working hard to improve their diction, intonation, dynamics and the

balance of parts, along with working on phrasing and communication and the way that they

blend together as a choir. Rehearsals are hard work, but fun! The choir invited their parents,

friends and staff to an Open Rehearsal in late November for them to see what goes on in a

Wednesday night’s rehearsal! Ms Edwards led the choir in a series of vocal and physical

warm-ups before rehearsing the four pieces in their current repertoire which included two

seasonal pieces in preparation for taking part in the evening Senior School & College Carol

Service at Llandaff Cathedral. The audience of more than 40 even applauded after some

parts of the rehearsal and were in fine voice at the end of the session when they were invited

to take part in the warm-down of voices! Guests and choir members were treated to a drink

and a cookie and many of the visitors commented on how hard the girls had worked

throughout the rehearsal.

This term, the girls in Years 3 to 6 have also benefited from a series of instrumental demonstrations given by some of our instrumental tutors at Howell’s. The tutors demonstrate how the instrument sounds, play some well-known tunes, explain how the instrument works and answer any questions the girls may have about playing the instrument. Some girls have then taken up the opportunity of having a short free taster lesson with the tutor which has resulted in some of them beginning

individual instrumental lessons on that instrument. Demonstrations this term have come from Mrs Sian Davies on trumpet, Mr Dafydd Thomas on trombone, Ms Amy Edwards on violin, Miss Laura Potter on clarinet, Ms Jane Groves on flute, Ms Sue Bird on piano and Mr Donald Clist on French horn. Next term we plan to organise more demonstration sessions, including oboe, cello, harp and bassoon.

Then began the build up to one of our busiest times of the year, Christmas. It seemed that every square metre of space was taken up with some form of rehearsal. Choirs, instrumentalists, dancers, singing, costumes, prop making, scenery painting… the list was almost endless. Rehearsals were in full flow for the Tenovus Lovelight Carol Concert, the School Carol Services, the Year 3 and 4 Show and the Infant Show, along with instrumental and choir rehearsals for various charity events and the Christmas Bandstand performances! Year 5 and 6 were busy working on their repertoire for the annual Tenovus Cancer Care Lovelight Carol Concert which this year made a welcome return to the magnificent Llandaff Cathedral. On a rather damp and cold November 28th, nearly 60 girls from Years 5 and 6 made their way through Llandaff village towards the flood-lit cathedral. The choir from Howell’s Prep School was just one of many acts on the programme, which included the inspiring Tenovus Sing with Us Cardiff North Choir, the very moving Cwmbran Deaf Choir, pianist, Malcolm Mason and saxophonist, Jo Wood. Hosted by the upbeat TV and radio personality, Wynne Evans, the Howell’s choir sang a set of 3 songs and also joined their fellow artists in a finale rendition of The Greatest Showman’s, This is Me! and the seasonal favourite, White Christmas. Interspersed through the evening’s entertainment were 3 poems on the theme of Lovelight, beautifully and sensitively written and read by Zita S, Catherine H and Sasha L from Year 6. During the lively concert there was also time to reflect and remember when the cathedral lights dimmed and each member of the audience held a lit candle. Broken only by the distant strains of the cathedral clock striking, this was the most poignant moment of the event. The girls from Howell’s School sang and read beautifully and the staff accompanying them were delighted by both their performance and attitude. It really was a very special way to begin the Christmas season!

The following week, Year 5 and 6 provided the musical accompaniment for the Lights to Remember event for the charity, Marie Curie. Held at the Penarth Pier Pavilion, the event drew together families and friends of those who have been touched by the work of Marie Curie’s hospice for Cardiff and the Vale in Penarth. The girls entertained the guests by singing a variety of seasonal songs as they arrived and then lead everyone in the communal singing. The guests at the afternoon even ending up singing a verse of White Christmas on their own! During the

short event, those attending were given a chance to reflect on those loved ones who they had lost and were encouraged to hang a small decoration on the large Christmas tree as a token of remembrance. The girls both sang and behaved superbly and the staff were proud to have taken them and supported Marie Curie.

This year, Year 3 and 4 performed a musical version of the classic Victorian fantasy story by JM Barrie about a boy who never grew up! The musical, Peter Pan played to capacity audiences over two nights in

the splendid setting of the Great Hall. A variety of locations met the audience as they entered the auditorium, ranging from the splendour of a Victorian London bedroom, through a fully rigged pirate ship

sailing through choppy seas to the enchantment of Neverland complete with its magnificent, but rather scenically challenging tepee. Peter Pan featured all the familiar characters created in JM Barrie’s 1906 novel, include the for-ever youthful Peter, the gregarious Lost Boys, the fearsome Captain Hook, the mischievous Tinkerbell and the

eccentric Darling family, plus a whole host of pirates and braves. Opening in an elegant

upstairs bedroom in Kensington Gardens, London, the cast took the audience on a journey to the mythical island of Neverland. There was a host of catchy and memorable songs, such as the bouncy Haven’t You Grown? the whimsical Do You Believe in Fairies? the mystical Mother Earth, Here in

Neverland – with its two-part singing, the rap-like Lost Boys and the show finale song, the aptly titled, The Story Carries On. The Great Hall was transformed with bold, colourful scenery and a multi-level stage. There were scores of intricately made pops, including a fabulous rowing boat! With enthusiastic singing, slick choreography and some tight comic timing the girls of Year 3 and 4 thoroughly entertained their audience with two polished sell-out performances, sending them away in a fabulously festive mood! Howell’s School hosted the annual English Speaking Union (ESU) dinner and Christmas Concert early in December and Xinrong Z from Year 5 performed a beautiful rendition of the carol, O Holy Night on cello as part of a varied programme of entertainment from Howell’s Prep, Senior and College students.

This year, the Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes performed Eddie the Penguin Saves the World! The Prep School Hall was transformed into an Antarctic iceberg for this humorous production with a serious ecological message. Eddie the Penguin discovered that the world he lived in was changing fast and that the ice was melting around him. He decided to take his family to find a new

home at the North Pole, where he met Peggy the Polar Bear and discovered that human beings were causing the ice to melt. Eddie then went on a mission to save the planet and let the world know

how they could change things for the better. Eddie and his friends travelled to Russia, Australia, Brazil, California and London,

where he met the Queen! He was a real eco-warrior.

The show began with a dramatic video of the Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi playing piano on an iceberg as an Arctic glacier crumbled around him. Cleverly integrated flying sequences from Google Earth linked this lively, moving and highly energetic show, which played to packed houses for each of the three

performances. Looking at the girls’ faces, it was evident that they enjoyed performing it too!

Year 5 and 6 also took part in the afternoon School Carol Service at Llandaff Cathedral by singing Bells Ring Out! – a lively carol telling the Christmas story and the expressive Un Seren (One Star). Un Seren was sensitively accompanied by Xinrong Z on cello and Safia ST on drum kit. They also joined in wholeheartedly with the singing of the congregational carols, singing in a combined

school choir of some 300 members! The girls enjoyed listening to the Senior Orchestra play Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival and Sleigh Ride and it was a pleasure to watch their faces as the mighty organ of Llandaff Cathedral played triumphantly. The Junior Competition Choir (JCC) were honoured to be asked to sing at the evening School Carol Service again this year. For many of the younger members of the choir, this was their first opportunity to perform in the wonderful surroundings of Llandaff Cathedral. They sang an arrangement of the traditional carol, The Holly and the Ivy and the lyrical Angels’ Carol by John Rutter and certainly were a favourite among many of the capacity congregation! In the same week, our Year 4 girls took the songs from their recently performed Peter Pan production ‘on tour’ and visited the residents of Tŷ Llandaff care home to spread a little Christmas cheer! They wore their costumes from the show and got some of the residents singing and clapping along with some of the catchy songs. Judging by both the girls’ faces and the residents’ reactions, I think it is safe to say that both groups enjoyed the afternoon!

The final week saw three appearances on our pop-up bandstand in the car park! Based in the former Victorian school tennis pavilion, several instrumental and vocal ensembles entertained parents as they

arrived at the end of the day with a joyous mix of Christmas carols and songs. This year, nearly 90 girls performed on the brightly lit bandstand over the three days and each evening they were greeted by big smiles and loud applause from proud parents and passers-by. Colourful performances were given by the Infant Choir, the Junior Flute Choir, Shake, Rattle & Roll on percussion, 4S Class Brass – playing their

cornets and trombones, 3J Class Strings – playing their violins and cellos, 2 Junior Rock groups, String Machine, 5 Band Skills ensembles, Junior Wind Band and the Junior School Orchestra. Instruments and girls were suitably adorned with Christmas accessories and parents, staff and friends enjoyed some foot-tapping music. This year, we had two mild and dry afternoons and one extremely wet one, but at least the only wind was that

being used to good effect on the Bandstand!

Several of the Prep School girls also took graded music exams during the final weeks of the term and we wish them well with their results. JCC and Year 5 and 6 also performed to the rest of the Prep School in an assembly, singing the songs which they had performed to audiences at recent evening events. It was lovely

for the younger members of the Prep School to experience some of the music which they themselves might be involved in later in their school career. One of our less publicised and quieter musical occasions takes place on the stairs and in the hallway of Hazelwood each year as the girls and staff from Year 3, 4, 5

and 6 gather around the Christmas tree to sing seasonal carols and songs illuminated only by the twinkling tree lights. It really is a magical way to end the Autumn Term. One of the final musical events of the term was the whole school end of term assembly in the Sports Hall. The entire school community gathered together to celebrate the successes of the term and to share seasonal items with each other. Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 sang and danced One World from Eddie the Penguin Saves the World! Year 3 and Year 4 sang and danced Haven’t You Grown? from Peter Pan and Year 5 and Year 6 performed a two-part arrangement of Winter Wonderland. The Junior Orchestra teamed up once again with the Youth and Senior Orchestras to form a massed Howell’s Orchestra of some 50 players and performed White Christmas, Jingle Bells and Stop the Cavalry. Xinrong Z from Year 5 performed the beautiful cello solo, O Holy Night and the Prep School girls were inspired by performances from both Senior and College students and the staff!

Earlier on that same day, the Infant Choir, made up of some 30 girls from Year 1 and 2, made their way to the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales to sing some Christmas songs. Ably accompanied by

their leader, Mrs Amanda Lloyd-Jones, the girls sang beautifully and brought smiles to the many patients, visitors and staff in the main waiting area. It was heart-warming to experience the girls sharing their wonderful singing with others and an added bonus that BBC Radio Wales was present making a recording for a forthcoming Christmas broadcast!

In what now appears to be yet another Howell’s tradition, a hastily convened Prep School Staff Choir performed as the girls and their parents left to begin their Christmas break. What a way to end the Autumn Term! I would like to thank all the pupils for their hard work and commitment throughout what was an incredibly busy term. My thanks also to the parents who supported the many evening events and after school rehearsals this term. In addition, I would also like to sincerely thank all the Prep School staff, along with colleagues from the school music team, for their support and patience during the term. Mr Ian Beckett Director of Music (Prep School)